Patents Assigned to BHP Chile Inc.
  • Oxidative heap leaching of base metals
    Patent number: 12503746
    Abstract: A method of leaching copper from a heap of ore which includes an ore agglomeration step, an ore stacking step wherein agglomerated ore is stacked to form a heap, a curing step, a leach step, and a rinse step, wherein, during the ore agglomeration step the ore is contacted with an acidified solution, nitrates or nitrites, and chloride, to create an oxidative environment prior to the leach step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2025
    Assignee: BHP CHILE INC.
    Inventors: Clement Chilowa Chibwana, Tania Valentina Ibanez Valenzuela
  • Oxidative bioleaching of base metals
    Patent number: 12492449
    Abstract: An oxidative bioleaching process for leaching a base metal from an ore that includes an ore agglomeration step, an ore stacking step wherein agglomerated ore is stacked to form a heap, a curing step, a rinse step, an inoculation step and a leach step, and wherein, during the ore agglomeration step, the ore is contacted with an acid solution containing nitrate or nitrite thereby to accelerate the leaching rate in the leach step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2025
    Assignee: BHP CHILE INC.
    Inventors: Clement Chilowa Chibwana, Cristian E. Mundaca
  • Heap leaching of copper
    Patent number: 10041143
    Abstract: A method of leaching copper from a heap of ore that includes at least one resting step followed by an irrigation step, wherein, during the irrigation step a leach solution that contains chloride ions is applied to the ore at a higher rate than during the resting step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: BHP CHILE INC.
    Inventor: George Frederick Rautenbach
  • Heap leaching method
    Patent number: 9816155
    Abstract: A process of extracting copper from copper sulphide minerals which is enhanced at solution potentials exceeding 700 mV SHE, in the absence of any microorganism, by contacting the minerals in a pre-treatment phase using an acid solution at a high chloride content containing dissolved copper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: BHP CHILE INC.
    Inventors: Eduardo Luis Patiño Martinez, Michael James Nicol, George Frederick Rautenbach
  • Heap Leaching Method
    Publication number: 20150232963
    Abstract: A process of extracting copper from copper sulphide minerals which is enhanced at solution potentials exceeding 700 mV SHE, in the absence of any microorganism, by contacting the minerals in a pre-treatment phase using an acid solution at a high chloride content containing dissolved copper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: BHP Chile Inc.
    Inventors: Eduardo Luis Patiño Martinez, Michael James Nicol, George Frederick Rautenbach